The Ostentian Constitution
Preamble: This is the constitution of the Democratic Republic of Ostentia. This constitution shall, once enshrined in law, define the structure, rights and powers of the government. With these in place, it is hoped that our glorious country will grow and prosper, becoming a shining example to the world. Article 1: The Democratic Republic of Ostentia **a. The Democratic Republic of Ostentia is founded as an independent nation. **b. Ostentia is formed by the union of the nations of Fondrop, Nashun, Oredia, Mearor, Falahn, Boondoxia, Valaxia and The Northern Isles. **c. The territories and peoples of these nations are therefore now the territories and peoples of Ostentia. **d. The Territories that comprise the Democratic Republic of Ostentia may not secede from the union by there own violition but only by the unanimous approval of the House of Commons. ::Article 1d was added by the Ostentian Union Act Article 2: The Structure of Government **a. Ostentia shall be governed by a central national government, whose members are representatives of the people. **b. The regions of Ostentia shall also each be governed by a regional government. **c. The national government shall have the power to over-rule the actions of regional governments. Article 3: The Parliament of Ostentia **a. A parliament shall sit in the capital of Ostentia. **b. The House of Commons shall be established as a part of this parliament. **c. The members of the House of Commons shall be elected representatives of the people. **d. To ensure that the House of Commons is truly representative of the people, regular elections shall be held. Article 4: National Law **a. Legislation affecting the entirety of Ostentia shall take precedence over regional law. **b. All proposals for nationwide legislation shall be proposed to the House of Commons in the form of bills. **c. For a bill to become legislation, is must be approved by the House of Commons. **d. If a bill is approved by the House of Commons, it becomes an Act of Parliament. **e. National law shall be comprised of Acts of Parliament. **f. Should Acts of Parliament conflict with each other, then the Act most recently passed shall apply. *Article 5: The Office of the Speaker **a. A member of the House of Commons shall be chosen to oversee procedure. They shall take up the Office of Speaker. **b. The Speaker shall remain impartial. Article 6: The Office of the Prime Minister **a. A member of the House of Commons shall be chosen to hold the Office of the Prime Minister. They shall form and head a national government. **b. Appointments to the Office of the Prime Minister shall be made by the Speaker, and based upon the results of elections. **c. The Office of the Prime Minister shall have all the Powers granted to the national government by this constitution. These cannot be withdrawn. **d. The Office of the Prime Minister shall be answerable to the House of Commons, and the holder of this office shall be required to answer questions asked in parliament. Article 7: The Cabinet **a. The Cabinet shall be comprised of the holders of all government offices. **b. All members of the Cabinet shall be answerable to the House of Commons, and required to answer questions asked in parliament which are relevant to their position. **c. Any powers granted to the Cabinet office can only be used if the decision is supported by the majority of the Cabinet. **d. The Speaker may attend cabinet in an advisory capacity. Article 8: The Powers of Government **a. The government shall have various powers at its disposal. **b. These powers shall be held by the Office of the Prime Minister. Even if delegated to other departments, the Office of the Prime Minister shall still hold these powers. **c. The government shall have the power to re-organise the structure of government. This power is restricted in that the offices of the Prime Minister and the Cabinet cannot be abolished. **d. The government shall have the power to directly alter the budget, without the need of legislation, through the use of budget motions in the House of Commons. ::Article 8d was removed by the Government Finance Act. **e. The government shall have the power to summon ambassadors representing foreign governments to the cabinet office. **f. The government shall have the power to dissolve parliament and call a general election. **g. The government shall have the power to declare an emergency situation and seek emergency powers. **h. The government shall have the power to directly alter the budget without the use of legislation. This power is restricted in that the government must seek parliamentary approval for changes in taxation. ::Article 8h was added by the Government Finance Act. **i. The option to declare war lies with the civilian government; however for war or and act of war to take place, a two thirds majority must be secured by a vote in the Commons. ::Article 8i was added by the Legislative Military Decisions Act. Article 9: Emergency Powers **a. In times of emergency, the government may seek emergency powers from parliament. **b. In such times, the government must secure a two-thirds majority in the House of Commons in favour of granting the government these powers. **c. Emergency powers can only be granted for periods of up to and including 7 days. Should the government seek to maintain emergency powers after this period, then they must apply to parliament once again. **d. Emergency powers can be used to pass Acts of Parliament without them being voted on. Only one Act a day may be passed in this manner. Article 10: Amending and Repealing Acts of Parliament **a. Acts of Parliament may be repealed or amended by future Acts of Parliament. This applies to all Acts of Parliament. Article 11: This Constitution **a. Once enshrined in law, this constitution cannot be repealed. **b. Acts of Parliament may be made that amend this constitution, but all such acts will be subject to a two-thirds majority vote. **c. No bills may be passed that breach the articles set out in this constitution.